DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. 
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“The seeds, plants, trees and shrubbery received by 
the Secretary, and not needed by the College, shall be, 
as far as possible, distributed equally throughout the 
State, and placed in the hands of those farmers, and 
others, who will agree to cultivate them properly and 
return to the Secretary’s office a reasonable proportion of 
the products thereof, with a full statement of the mode 
of cultivation, and such other information as may be 
necessary to ascertain their value for cultivation in this 
State.” (Gen’l Sec. 30, Gen’l Laws ’83.) 
Since the organization of the State Agricultural 
College, in 1879, little has been done to carry into effect 
the foregoing provisions of the statute, owing to the 
limited means at the command of the State Board of 
Agriculture. 
The Secretary wishes to open correspondence with 
the agricultural and. horticultural societies of this State, 
with a view of securing their reports and information 
concerning the progress of husbandry in different parts of 
the State; and such parts as may be considered of general 
public interest will be published in the annual reports of 
the State Board of Agriculture to the Governor. 
O 
The State Board of Agriculture was created and 
organized for the purpose of not only giving its atten¬ 
tion to the control and direction of the State Agricul¬ 
tural College, but that it might aid and assist in develop¬ 
ing and giving strength to the general business of 
husbandry throughout the State. 
This work is largely to be performed through the 
Secretary’s office, as will be observed from the statutory 
provisions, and the business of that office has been 
arranged and this bulletin prepared with that end in view. 
With the growth of the College, the two principal 
departments, of agriculture and horticulture, have been 
engaged in the selection and improvement of seeds and 
vegetables in their respective departments, and consider¬ 
able has been accomplished in that direction. 
The College has now on hand a general assortment 
of farm and garden seeds, which are held for free distri- 
